Prognostic impact of vessels encapsulating tumor clusters and macrotrabecular patterns in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) shows a high mortality rate. A macrotrabecular (MT) pattern and vessels encapsulating tumor clusters (VETC) pattern have been reported as aggressive histological patterns in HCC. However, their cut-off values have been contentious. Nine hundred eighty-five cases of previously diagnosed HCC were enrolled. The percentage areas of the MT and/or VETC pattern with ≥ 5% at every 10% increment were assessed. Clinicopathological analysis including patients’ prognosis was conducted. One hundred fifty-eight and eighty-four cases were accompanied by 5–49% and ≥ 50% MT components, respectively. Two hundred six and twenty-nine cases had 5–49% and ≥ 50% VETC components, respectively. Cases with these histological patterns in common had aggressive characteristics and worse prognosis compared to cases with none of these patterns. The presence of 5–49% VETC pattern was independent worse prognostic factor in overall survival (P = 0.046). HCCs with the MT pattern and the VETC pattern were significantly accompanied by the VETC pattern and the MT pattern (P